Several of the productions on your list are essentially student productions with professional dancers, often guests, in the leads. Ballet Florida's is a professional production which has grown and become richer over the years. It includes, of course, lots of kids from the company school. The Kravis Center in West Palm Beach is comfortable and beautiful; the production is lavish; everything works smoothly and magically; there's even a brief snow shower within the theater. The company has the dancers to carry the major parts as well as all the variations (Coffee, Candy Cane, Tea, etc.) In Joseph Buchek, they have one of the best Drosselmeiers around. The inclusion of advanced students makes the Dance of the Snowflakes my own personal favorite.

I should reveal a conflict of interest. If you look very, very closely at the big party scene, you may find ... me. Alternate performances only, however. A group of us go out in costume during the intermission to stand at the foot of the grand staircase and greet the kids, etc. Please stop by to say hello, BTrs, if you are there.

I should reveal a conflict of interest. If you look very, very closely at the big party scene, you may find ... me. Alternate performances only, however. A group of us go out in costume during the intermission to stand at the foot of the grand staircase and greet the kids, etc.

Peekaboo!.. Beutiful. Thanks for add BF to the list. Now I remember that you've mentioned their "Nutcracker" last year. Have fun up there, and report back..!!!

BTW, bart...the BF's website reveals an impressive preview clip and beautiful pics of the production. If i'm not mistaken this Nutcracker seems to be my type...(did i see a Snow Queen, another different couple for the SPF PDD and what seems to be a glimpse of the Sergueiev notated choreography too on this Pas...? Are there any more clips of the whole Pas? )
Edited to add: I just added the dates for BF's production on the top of the thread. Sorry again for the omission.

If i'm not mistaken this Nutcracker seems to be my type...(did i see a Snow Queen, another different couple for the SPF PDD and what seems to be a glimpse of the Sergueiev notated choreography too on this Pas...? Are there any more clips of the whole Pas? )

I don't really know much about variants of this ballet. It's credited to "Marie Hale" [the company's founder and AD]. In past years it seems that Petipa has also been credited. There is a Snow Queen and pdd with her Snow Prince.

As far as I know, the music chosen for each section is similar to what I've heard elsewhere, though there may be switches and interpolations I don't know about and which are not mentioned in the program.

It really would be interesting to learn how this was put together and from what sources.

I've not seen clips of the whole Sugar Plum pdd.

Scenes are as follows:

Act I.

Scene I. Drossselmeyer's workshop. Drosselmeyer is seen at his magician's work table. He goes to a portrait of his nephew and begins to weep.

Scene II. The villagers going to the Silberhaus party.

Scene III. The Silberhouse party. The young girl is Clara; her brother, Fritz. Short variations are danced by toys: Harlequin and Columbine, and by the Mechanical Soldier. The Nutcracker is given by Drossemeyer to Clara and is dashed to the floor by Fritz. Drosselmeyer fixes the Nutcracker.

The guests leave and everyone goes to bed. There's a musical interlude, during which Clara comes downstairs to retrieve the Nutcracker.

Scene IV. She's terrorized by the mice led by a Mouse King and saved by the Nutcracker Prince after a battle with the Mouse King. (The prince who looks like the portrait of Drosselmeyer's nephew). Numerous tiny angels criss-cross the floor and an adult angel flies down from above.

Scene V: Land of Snow. Dance of the Snowflakes. Pdd between Snow Queen and Snow Prince

Scene II. The Castle Courtyard. Clara and the Nutcracker Prince are welcomed by the Sugar Plum Fairy and are led to small thrones at the back of the stage, from which the observe the vairations. The order of variations is:

Dew Drop and Dew Drop Cavalier.

Spanish (Chocolate)

Chinese (Tea)

Bon Bon Soloist and Bon Bon corps

Arabian (Coffee) -- pdd

Russian *(Trepak) -- 3 men

Mother Gigogne and her brood.

Waltz of the Flowers (soloists with cavaliers, and corps)

Sugar Plum pdd.

Scene III. Everyone bids farewell to Clara and the Prince as they fly away in their magical sled.

Scene IV. Interlude with the villagers passing from one side of the stage to the other.

Scene V. Drosselmeyer's workshop. The Prince and Drossselmeyer are reuinted.

All solos are performed by company members. Students do the childrens' parts, of course. The more advanced students provide most of the Snowflakes. Last year there were four different Sugar Plums and four different Cavaliers.